ANIMAL WELFARE WORKERS at My Lovely Horse Rescue have issued an urgent appeal after a rescued pony, Eleanor, was stolen from the organisation’s premises over the weekend.
The rescue group says Eleanor, a small pony who was brought into their care around two years ago, was last seen in its main field on Friday evening, before staff discovered she was missing the following day.
Despite extensive searches of neighbouring land and nearby farms, the organisation says there has been no sign of the animal.
Speaking about the incident, My Lovely Horse Rescue spokesperson Martina Kenny said staff only became aware something was wrong after carrying out checks the following day.
“We went out and checked the fields and she just wasn’t there,” Kenny said.
“We searched everywhere, neighbouring farms, speaking to people locally, and there was nothing. We contacted the relevant authorities and there were no reports of a loose horse or sightings either.”
Kenny said staff initially delayed making a public appeal while they carried out searches in the hope Eleanor might be found nearby.
“We didn’t want to go straight online, we wanted to check everywhere first,” she said.
“But we’ve had no leads, and we’ve had to come to the conclusion that she has been taken.”
The organisation says Eleanor is a friendly rescue pony and had become well settled in their care, even taking part in public events.
“She’s a really sweet little horse, very friendly, everyone here loves her,” Kenny said.
“She’s been with us for two years, she was doing really well, and there’s just a huge sense of shock that this has happened.”
“We just want her home.”
The rescue has also raised concerns about misinformation circulating online since the theft, including false claims that the animal has been located or offered for return in exchange for money.
“We’re getting messages constantly saying she’s here, she’s there, someone has her,” Kenny said.
“And then there are people asking for money before they’ll give any information. It’s extremely distressing and it’s very difficult to know what’s genuine.”
The group says it has also been contacted with threats and abusive messages in the aftermath of the theft.
Kenny said the focus remains on bringing Eleanor home safely, but admitted staff are worried about ongoing security risks at the rescue centre.
“There is a real concern now that we may have to invest in additional security at the site,” Kenny said.
“We have to think about how we prevent something like this happening again, because right now it feels very vulnerable.”
My Lovely Horse Rescue has offered a reward for information leading to Eleanor’s safe return and has urged anyone with information to contact them directly and in confidence.
The organisation has appealed for the public to share verified information only and not to circulate unconfirmed claims online.
Anyone with information is asked to contact My Lovely Horse Rescue on 087 261 1463.